Siblings
by Syl
Summary: Getting sent to another Gotham City is more than Robin expected. And then she meets up with a Boy Wonder! The Universe must be playing a joke on her.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Getting sent to another Gotham City is more than Robin expected. And then she meets up with a _**Boy**_ Wonder! The Universe must be playing a joke on her.

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Siblings**

**By Syl Francis**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 1**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

Robin looked around long and hard. It was Gotham, but different somehow. Touching her cowl optics she zoomed in on the tallest building. There—Wayne Tower! But not the same, she realized.

Instead of the windows being lit in the traditional, green and red 40-story isosceles triangle, representing a Christmas tree, they were lit in a luminescent display of blue and white snowflakes that appeared to be continuously falling in random patterns.

Also, rather than the tower being identified as _Wayne Enterprises _in seasonal green and red lettering, _Wayne Corp _in brightly lit blue and white letters stood proudly on the tower roof.

"We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto," she murmured.

Apparently, Apokolips had found a new way to annoy the Justice Society. Darkseid's evil general Granny Goodness, whom she and Batman had been fighting, had managed to hit Robin with a weird ray gun.

During the battle against the Apokoliptic para-demons, Batman had wondered at the mysterious weapon's potential. So, now they knew. Or, at least, _she_ knew. Batman, however, was probably still back on the rooftop of the Gotham City Museum battling Granny and her para-demons.

"Dad," she whispered, suddenly realizing what Batman was going through. _He must be going insane! He probably thinks I was disintegrated or something. I've got to find a way back! _She stared at the distant Wayne Tower. "Mom and Alfred will be worried sick, too."

The softest of sounds behind her alerted her with the barest of split seconds. She just managed to duck and roll in time to avoid the bolos. As she came up, she acquired and readied a batarang and threw! Only to have it deflected by a modified bird-shaped throwing star.

"You know…it's always nice when the crazies in this town decide to emulate us, but really, a _girl_? Can't you villains even get the gender right?"

It was only at that point that Robin acknowledged that she was in another reality. Because, seriously? A _**Boy**_ Wonder? The Universe had to be playing a practical joke on her.

"Oh, please! As if any self-respecting boy would go around calling himself '_**Robin**__'_!" she sneered. "It's totally a girl's name!"

"Hey! I resent that!" the self-proclaimed Boy Wonder replied. He paused as if listening. "Yeah…it's an anomaly all right!" he said.

"I'm _not_ an anomaly!" Robin growled, whipping out her escrima sticks.

"I wasn't talking to you," he muttered, taking his own out and assuming a defensive stance. The slightest twitch of his lips was the only warning she got—unfortunately, it was too late. Barely turning in time, she saw a sight that all her life had made her feel safe and secure, only tonight it shook her to the core. Silhouetted against the full moon, his cape spread out dramatically, the Dark Knight swooped down on her.

"Oh, crap," she whispered. Holding up her hands in the universal sign of surrender, Robin dropped the escrima sticks and assumed as non-threatening a stance as possible. Looking up wide-eyed at Batman, she smiled tremulously and said the first thing that came to mind. "Hello, Daddy."

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 1**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

Robin looked from the holo-keyboard he had been typing on and stared, openmouthed, at the strange girl. First, she showed up wearing a girlie version of his uniform and insulted his codename, and now? Okay, this was just too much!

"Did you just call Batman—?"

"Robin." Batman's no-nonsense tone stopped the boy from continuing. He glared at the girl before him. "The energy signature I traced here was similar to those of—"

"Apokolips," she finished for him. "Batman and I were fighting one of Darkseid's generals… when she fired a new weapon at me, and well…here I am." Smiling brightly, she held her arms out. "Surprise!"

Her words were met by identical bat-glares. She swallowed. Taking a deep breath, she reached up and removed her mask. "I'm Helena Wayne." She paused, daring to look Batman in the eyes. "I take it, I haven't been born here, yet?" When he gave no indication of answering, she turned to Robin and shook her head. "You, I can't place. As far as I know Mom and Dad never had any boys, just me, but…?" She stopped suddenly and took a longer look at him.

"Waitaminute…Daddy told me about the little boy he took in for a couple nights before—" She looked from Robin to Batman. "That's where the name Robin came from, but Zucco…the boy—Richard—went after him alone. By the time Batman arrived, it was too late. Daddy never forgave himself…"

"What? You're saying Zucco killed me?" Robin shook his head. "That's crazy! I'm standing right here!"

"Of course, he didn't kill you," Helena huffed. "I can see that! No, he killed the Richard Grayson of my universe."

Feeling suddenly cold, Robin turned, his expression stricken toward Batman. The Dark Knight placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, steadying him.

Swallowing, Robin spoke. "So, who's your mom?"

"Selina Kyle."

"Catwoman?" Robin asked with a laugh. "No way!"

"After Richard Grayson's murder, Dad went sorta berserk. There was no almost stopping him when he caught up to Zucco. Only Mom…she managed to talk him down, kept him from killing Zucco." Helena stopped pensively. "I wasn't born yet, of course. Everything I'm telling you, I've heard all my life from my mom and Alfred. Dad doesn't like to talk about it." She gazed intently into the Boy Wonder's eyes.

"Even though Richard was supposed to stay at the manor for only a few days, Dad had already filed the paperwork to adopt him. I guess I've always thought of him as a kind of older brother in a way. And Dad…well, he's always felt that he failed to protect him. When I finally convinced Mom and Dad to let me train and become a member of the team, I took the name _Robin_ to honor him. Dad said that he'd overheard some of the other circus performers call Richard that on the night his parents were killed. He never told me why, and I never had the heart to ask."

"It's 'cause I was born on the first day of spring—" Robin began.

"Robin," Batman's voice rasped a warning.

"She knows, B…at least, she knows most of it." He looked up his mentor and adoptive father. "She may as well know the rest." After a long moment, Batman finally nodded his permission. "Like I said…Mom called me Robin because I was born on the first day of spring, and because Dad always said that I was born to fly on account of I was a Grayson."

Helena nodded. "Thank you. I promise to always live up to their memories."

Robin reached up and removed his own mask. Two pairs of almost identical blue eyes stared back at each other. "I wouldn't expect any less from daughter of Bruce Wayne."

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 2**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

"_Robin!"_ Batman cried out in warning. He saw Granny Goodness aim and fire her weapon at his junior partner, but his warning came too late. He stood momentarily paralyzed, staring at the spot where his daughter had just been standing.

"_Batman! Behind you!" _The warning came in the nick of time. Catwoman struck out with her whip, catching the weapon with the end of her cat-o' nine-tails. Yanking with all her strength, she pulled the weapon from the evil Granny's hands.

Meantime, Batman had thrown three batarangs in rapid succession. One struck the demonic Granny on the temple; the second struck the hand that had been holding the weapon at the same time that Catwoman pulled it out of her hands; the third hit and imbedded itself onto the wall behind Granny, a red blinking light signaling a silent warning.

Despite the coordinated attack against her, Granny Goodness stood back with a self-satisfied smirk on her face. "You mere mortals would dare faceoff against a god? Darkseid toys with you for the moment. Whether you get your precious little darling back or not is inconsequential—for it is written that this reality and all who reside in it will cease to exist when the Dread Lord wills it so!"

The next instant, Batman and Catwoman leapt off the museum rooftop, just as the explosive batarang went off. It was not enough to kill the Apokoliptic general, but it was enough to slow her down. The Bat and the Cat jumped into the Batmobile and took off.

Catwoman held the offending weapon in her hands all the way back to the Cave. Whatever else this thing was, it was the only means they had at the moment to determine what exactly that witch had done with their little girl.

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 1**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

Less than an hour later, Batman and the two Robins were aboard the Watchtower, running calculations on the satellite computer. Red Tornado was jacked into the satellite mainframe and helping with the research.

Dr. Fate hovered above the computer console in the monitor room, observing the situation. He had assessed the energy readings that Batman provided and determined that no magic had been used to send the girl across the multiverse. Having given his report, he was now sitting cross-legged in midair, apparently in deep meditation. As usual, he was keeping his own counsel.

Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman were each standing at an adjacent computer station, murmuring quietly to each other, while the Flash worked at speeds that were too fast for anyone else to follow. In all, everyone was engaged in finding a way to send one lost little girl back home.

"So…what are you saying?" Green Arrow sounded confused. "That she's our Robin from another universe?" His question was met with a resounding slap to the back of his head. "Hey! Ouch!"

"Don't be an idiot!" Black Canary said. "She's _**a**_ Robin, but she's not _**our**_ Robin as a girl. Do we have to draw you a picture or something?"

"No…but if you want to demonstrate, Pretty Bird," GA said with a leer, "I'm all for hands on teaching methods!"

"I'll show you hands on," BC growled. Standing up, she advanced on her on-again/off-again boyfriend in a threatening manner that would do the Bats proud.

Helena giggled. "Uncle Ollie and Aunt Dinah act just like this back home."

"Really?" GA asked, genuinely interested. The next moment, his eyes widened. "Hey…I'm not a woman or anything like that am I?"

"That does it!" BC declared before Helena could answer. "Our quarters, Ollie! Now!" Without another word, she about faced and headed out. The two Robins snickered behind their gloves at the two adults' antics.

With all the grownup heroes busy, Dick led his "sister" to the Great Room and its impressive viewing window. Helena gasped in appreciation.

"Wow…this is beautiful!" she spoke in a low, awed whisper. "The Justice Society doesn't have anything like this. Their HQ is—."

"Wait! Don't tell me," Dick said. "It's inside a mountain, carved out of a dormant volcano in Happy Harbor, right?"

Helena laughed. "Don't be silly—a dormant volcano! Who ever heard of such a silly idea? No…the Justice Society HQ is located in the Morningside neighborhood of NYC—Wesley Dodds' old estate."

"Wesley Dodds?"

"You know…the Sandman."

Dick shook his head. "Sorry…I never heard that name before." Dick did not add that their Sandman was a child psychologist who had helped him following his parents' deaths. Years earlier, he had even helped Bruce after his own parents' murders.

"Oh…I guess there would be differences between our two universes. I mean, besides just—" She gestured vaguely between them.

"Well…let's see what else isn't the same," Dick offered. "My best friend is Kid Flash." He looked questioningly at her.

Helena shook her head. "Sorry…no Kid Flash. My best friend is Kara."

Dick shook his head. "Kara?"

"Yeah, Kara Zor-L…Superman's cousin from Krypton."

"Superman has a cousin?"

"Yeah…and she's really cool. And smart! Uncle Clark and Aunt Lois adopted her, so they can raise her like a daughter. It's funny 'cause she was born before Uncle Clark, but because her spacecraft didn't follow the same route as his, he got here first. By the time her ship landed, Uncle Clark was already a grown man, but she was still a little girl—around nine or ten—because of suspended animation." Helena shrugged.

"Uncle Clark couldn't let her go to an orphanage, and he was afraid that they wouldn't let him adopt her because he was single—even if they were cousins. So…" She grinned and clapped her hands excitedly. "He finally proposed to Lois! Kara and I got to be bridesmaids."

"They probably couldn't run the risk of a blood test, either," Dick opined, not impressed with idea of being part of a wedding party.

Helena nodded. "Yeah…Daddy took care of the all the necessary paperwork. As far as the world was concerned, Clark Kent's second cousin twice removed on his mother's side, died and left a nine-year-old daughter behind, naming him as sole guardian. Anyway…officially, she's Kara Martha Kent now—my best friend. Oh! And she's also Power Girl!"

"We don't have a Power Girl here, and even if we did, I don't think Clark would marry Lois Lane, either."

"Why not?" Helena asked. "Daddy says that Uncle Clark's been in love with her, for like forever!"

Dick gestured toward Superman and Wonder Woman, who were working at their stations, their heads nearly touching. At that moment, the Amazon princess happened to catch Superman's eye and gave him a warm smile. Superman blushed, of course.

"Because with someone like _her_ looking at _him_ like _that_…I don't think some lady reporter with a knack for falling off buildings just to get his attention is gonna be able to _keep_ his attention—at least, not for long."

"You're kidding! Uncle Clark and Aunt Diana have a thing?"

Dick shrugged. "Well…I've only heard rumors." He didn't mention the surveillance video that Batman had taken of the Kryptonian and Amazon. Dick thought it smacked too much of stalking, but he trusted his mentor to know what he was doing.

"Wow…I would never have seen that coming. Poor Aunt Lois."

A warning klaxon went off at the same time that power readings went off the scale. Dr. Fate came out of whatever trance he had been in, and the rest of the JL members present took up defensive positions.

"It's an energy reading similar to the one I spotted earlier!" Batman yelled.

An energy portal began to take shape and form in the middle of the monitor room. Dr. Fate positioned himself before the portal and spoke. "It is time."

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 2**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

Batman and Catwoman stepped from the JS transportation portal and hurried to the main conference room in Dodds' Mansion. When they arrived, several of the founders were already present.

Superman looked at his friend, a worried expression on his face. "Bruce, what is it? What's the emergency?"

"It's Helena!" Catwoman spoke before Batman could reply. "We were attacked by Granny Goodness and her para-demons. In the course of the battle, she shot Robin with this thing!" She held up the weapon. "And…our little girl is just…gone!"

Wonder Woman came up to her and took her in her arms. "Oh, Selina…I'm so sorry! I don't know what to say."

Batman stepped forward. "No…you don't understand. She's not dead…At least, we don't think so. Something that Granny said—that even if we 'get our precious little darling back'—it won't make any difference. Something about this reality ceasing to exist sometime in the future." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter right now. What _does_ matter is getting our daughter back. I think that when Granny fired this thing at Robin, the weapon opened up some type of inter-dimensional portal that sent her to an alternate universe."

"But, that's fantastic!" Black Canary said. "Is travel between universes even possible?"

"More than possible," Batman growled. "It's also extremely dangerous…for should a person from one universe travel to another universe where he or she already exists, their very presence will destabilize that reality's very existence."

He turned to the others, his voice a low-pitched, dangerous rasp. "If Helena Wayne already exists in the universe to which our daughter has been sent, then—"

Dr. Fate stepped forth. "There is yet time, Bruce Wayne. The multiverse has not been negatively affected by this transfer, which means that—"

"—That there is no Helena Wayne where she's been sent," Catwoman finished. "Bruce, if there's no Helena there, then that universe's Batman may not believe her when she arrives!"

Batman took his wife into his arms and held her gently. "We will get her back, Selina…I promise you."

Dr. Fate assumed a meditative pose, sitting cross-legged in midair, and waited…

With the combined scientific and arcane knowledge of the members of the Justice Society, the weapon was analyzed in record time. As the members planned the best method of retrieval, Dr. Fate came out of his trance and spoke, "It is time."

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 1**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

The next instant, a black figure came tumbling out of the opening. He rolled and came up, one hand hidden within the folds of his black cape and behind his back.

Looking around, he caught a glimpse of his doppelganger. When he spoke, he addressed Batman, his tone harsh and demanding. "Where's Robin?"

"Daddy!" Helena threw herself into her father's arms. "How did you—?"

"There's no time!" Batman rasped impatiently. "We must get back now before the portal closes!"

"But I haven't said goodbye to Robin—I mean, Richard!"

"What?" Batman looked to where she was pointing. He whispered, "Richard?"

He watched as that universe's Batman walked up to the boy, and standing next to him, placed an arm around his shoulders. He removed his cowl and gazed into his counterpart's eyes. The boy also removed his mask. Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson looked solemnly at the Dynamic Duo from beyond the multiverse.

"He wouldn't want you blame yourself," Dick said quietly. "You brought Zucco to justice, _and_ you've kept Robin's legacy alive. That's what matters."

"The portal between the universes is collapsing," Dr. Fate intoned. He held out his hands and a powerful force field enveloped the portal. "We can hold it for you, but you have only seconds. You must go now."

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 2**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

In another, far more distant universe, another Dr. Fate echoed his words…

"The portal between the universes is collapsing." Dr. Fate held out his hands and a powerful force field enveloped the portal. "We can hold it for them, but they have only seconds. They must return now."

Catwoman gasped in dread, while Superman placed a comforting arm around her shoulders.

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 1**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

"Richard," Batman gazed longingly at his lost boy. He felt an insistent tug at his elbow.

"Daddy…we have to go! Mom and Alfred need us!"

At his daughter's insistent voice, Batman finally snapped out of it. Nodding, he urged Robin through the portal first. Taking one last long look at Richard, his lips twitched upwardly in a partial smile. He had been granted a peek—however brief—of what might have been.

"_**Now!"**_ Dr. Fate shouted in two universes. The warning ringing in his ears, Batman hurriedly dove through the portal at the last possible instant, as it shut behind him. "It is finished. The portal between the universes has been closed." Dr. Fate stood for a moment in silent meditation, and then spoke again. "If the forces of the Dread Lord are not stopped, then the multiverse will again suffer from disruption and chaos. All that is will cease to exist, as we know it. I must go to prepare…"

Their voices still echoing in dire warning, the twin Lords of Order winked out from their respective universes...

"So…what do you think that was all about?" the Flash asked no one in particular.

"Darkseid," Batman answered, pulling his cowl back on. "This was just a little taste of what's to come, I'm afraid."

Slowly putting his mask back on, Robin looked up at his mentor. "May we go home now? It's Christmas Eve."

Looking down at his young partner, the Dark Knight's square jaw softened minutely. "I think we've done all we can for now, partner. Let's go home."

"So…you and Catwoman, huh?"

"Did I hear that you were getting coal for Christmas this year?"

Robin's answering giggle could still be heard long after the zeta-beam vanished from sight.

**End of Part 1**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Author's Note:** Having a little fun with the multiverse—an idea from 52!World's Finest, but not 52!Dick Grayson, because...well, Nightwing #0 was just so wrong. Oh, and this hasn't been beta'd…so, sorry! **(Continue on to Part 2 - Epilogue)**

**Disclaimer**: All characters belong to DC, Time Warner, and CN; this is an original story that doesn't intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome.

**Copyright**: December 2012 – **Merry Christmas!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary:** Just a brief Epilogue to hopefully wrap things up.

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Siblings**

**By Syl Francis **

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 2**

**[Epilogue 1]**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

Helena felt herself _fall—_weightless, disembodied—through time and space. It was if the universe had folded in on itself, and she was being bent into odd shapes and squeezed down to the size of an atom, only to be stretched out into infinity. She did not remember her initial journey across the multiverse to have been quite so discombobulating, nor did she recall the journey having taken so long. _Of course, when one contemplates infinity,_ she reasoned, _one tends to fall short of the_—

Helena never finished the thought, because the next moment, she was actually falling down onto the cold, hard platform of the Justice Society's transporter. She had just a split second to turn her fall into a semi-controlled, tumbling roll, as she stumbled awkwardly to her feet.

She was instantly in her mother's waiting arms. They turned to the transporter platform, their anxiety clearly written on their faces, when a white flash suddenly announced the Dark Knight's return…

Later that evening as she sat with her mom and dad in the family room, her parents enjoying an after dinner coffee, while she sipped on a hot chocolate, Helena could not help watching her father askance. He hid his distress well, but Helena had spent her life studying the nuances of Bruce Wayne's facial muscles; she could tell that he had been deeply affected by his experience in the other universe.

"He was right, Daddy." Helena spoke softly. "Richard, I mean. You've done everything to honor the Graysons' memory—and his. You have to stop beating yourself over the past."

Selina looked up from the book she had been reading. This was the first that either Helena or Bruce had spoken of their recent adventure. She had felt their reluctance to even discuss the subject earlier, when she had initially asked questions, so had not pressed the matter. But now, since Helena had brought it up, Selina was ready to step in.

At the mention of Richard, she finally understood without anyone having to further explain things. Instead, she stood and walked over to sit next to her husband.

"Bruce…you know that you're not responsible for Richard's death. Zucco and _only_ Zucco must bear the blame for what happened to the Graysons... and to Richard."

"But if I'd only been a little faster… gotten to him a little sooner—" Bruce's raw pain could be felt as he spat the words out in self-loathing. Selina put her arms around Bruce and held him tightly.

"Darling, what happened today? You've spent years coming to terms with that terrible night. I thought that you'd finally cleared that particular hurdle."

Bruce placed his head in his hands. "I will never forget jumping into the river after him, Selina. He was just a few feet away from me, but my cape kept dragging me back. I could see the falls up ahead. Richard reached his hand out to me… screaming for my help! I reached for him as I shot out the grapnel. I almost had him within my grasp!" Bruce looked down at his empty hands. "His little hand was right there… my own hand was closing around his—!" He clenched his hands in despair, a deep sob escaping him. When Bruce spoke again, his voice was muffled with grief and guilt. "That's when he went under. At the same time the line went taut… And then, it was too late. He was just…gone." Bruce opened his hands again, looking at them as if surprised that they held only empty air.

Neither Selina nor Helena said anything. There was nothing either could say to comfort him, except hold him and be there for him. They both knew the heartbreaking ending to the story already. Richard Grayson was washed over the falls and probably killed instantly. His small, broken body was recovered two days later a few miles down river. He was buried next to his parents in the Wayne family private cemetery.

"Did you see him, Helena?" Bruce asked, his quiet voice sounding awed. "He was about your age—thirteen maybe a little younger—and wearing a version of the Robin uniform." He wiped his eyes. "He looked so… so bright, so _alive_… just as I remember him from his performance that night in the circus."

"Yes, Daddy… I saw," Helena said gently. "Richard would've made you a great Robin. From what I observed, he'd been trained to use his acrobatics to his advantage."

Bruce nodded. "His Batman probably adjusted his martial arts regimen to make optimum use of them." He smiled. "I know that I would have done so. Richard would've been amazing to see in action."

Helena smiled sadly at her father. "He was, Daddy… He really was."

Bruce caught the note of regret in his little girl's voice. He felt a momentary pang of guilt, knowing that he was probably directly responsible for her current pain. Holding his arms open to her, he called her over. "C'mere, princess."

Helena immediately ran into his arms and onto his lap. He kissed her on the top of her head.

"If there is one good thing that came of that tragedy— " Bruce spoke fervently. "—No, make that _several_ good things that came of it—it was your mother saving me from myself by not letting me kill Zucco, no matter how much he deserved it; and agreeing to marry me even though I definitely didn't deserve _her_!" He smiled at Selina as he said this, taking her hand in his and pressing his lips to her palm. "But the best thing of all…" He looked long and lovingly at his little girl. "The best gift of all is you."

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Earth 1**

**Epilogue 2**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

Bruce stood in the door to Dick's room, watching the boy as he stared pensively out the window. He took a deep breath and walked silently into the room, making his way over to the window seat, where he settled down next to Dick.

"Care to talk about it?" Bruce finally ventured. He waited patiently, knowing that no amount of encouragement would make Dick speak until he was ready to. It was funny really, because it was a trait that the boy had picked up from his mentor.

_One of my more annoying traits, according to Alfred_, Bruce surmised. Dick settled for a noncommittal shrug. _Okay… that one he developed all on his own_, Bruce mused.

"You've been a little down at the mouth since Christmas, Dick. It's New Year's Eve tonight. You can't start a new year by dragging along the previous year's baggage. You've got to let it go and start fresh."

Dick studied Bruce's face seriously. "Is that what you do?" he asked skeptically. "Start fresh each year?"

"We're not talking about me," Bruce said. "We're talking about you." At Dick's look of protest, Bruce held his hand up to stop the boy from stating the obvious. "Look, son… we both know that in some things, I'm a lost cause. I rarely let go of anything, and I'm dragging enough baggage with me to make Jacob Marley's ghostly chain pale by comparison."

Dick smiled at Bruce's reference to Jacob Marley, dead business partner to Ebenezer Scrooge. They had read the story aloud the week leading up to Christmas. Dick had wondered afterward if Marley's punishment, which was dragging a ponderous chain in the afterlife for all eternity, had been pardoned or at least amended somewhat for his good deed.

"You're not like that, Bruce. You do a lot of good—as Batman and Bruce Wayne." He gazed earnestly at his guardian as he spoke. Then, looking down, he added quietly, "You can't help feeling sad over the bad stuff that happened in the past. I know, 'cause I feel the same way."

"I know that, Dick. But you're not me… You still miss your parents, but you've managed to move on and learned to be happy again." Smiling, he reached over and ran his hand affectionately through Dick's hair. "And, you've shown me how to be happy again, too. When you came into my life, you brought light back into the manor… after too many years of darkness. I'd forgotten how to laugh… how to _feel_ for that matter. I'd felt pain for so long that I taught myself to turn off all feeling, leaving only a cold numbness behind. You helped change all that. So you see… we may have a shared a similar tragedy, but we are not the same." He smiled warmly. "You're much better."

Dick basked in the warm glow of Bruce's words. After a moment, he looked down at his hands, suddenly finding them very interesting. At last, he found the courage to voice the question that had been troubling him since Christmas.

"Do you sometimes wish that Selina would stop stealing and married you, so that you could have a daughter like Helena?"

"I thought that might be what was troubling you," Bruce said, pulling Dick close to him. Keeping his arm around his boy, Bruce thought carefully over the words that he was about to say. "Dick, I won't lie to you. I don't know if I'll ever get married and have children—the mission leaves little time for romance. But if I did…well, I guess I could do a lot worse than Selina. And you saw for yourself what a great kid Helena was—so, I wouldn't mind a daughter like her."

"Oh."

"But Dick, there's one thing I want to make perfectly clear. I'm already a father in every sense of the word, except one—DNA. You're my son in all the ways that count, and I wouldn't trade you for all the Helenas or all the Selinas in the world."

Dick looked up at Bruce's words, his expression hopeful. Giving him an affectionate half-smile, Bruce leaned down and touched his cheek to the top of Dick's head. After a moment, he sat up and spoke sincerely.

"Maybe one day I will meet someone and fall in love and marry—but don't ever think that I'd ever want to replace you." His expression softened as he ran a finger down his son's cheek. "And Dick, remember that the only reason that _other_ Selina and Bruce Wayne got together was because Zucco killed that universe's Dick Grayson. If that's the only way that I'll ever have a Helena, then I don't want one—_ever_. You're my partner, my son, and my light. I only hope and pray that I never find out what that Bruce Wayne went through when he lost his son. Because as long as I have you in my life, I'll never need anyone else."

Dick threw his arms around his partner, his father, and his anchor in an uncertain world. "I love you, too, Bruce," he whispered hoarsely.

"Happy New Year, son."

**(**_**Really**_**) The End**

**~ / ~ / ~ / ~**

**Author's Note:** I had so many people comment on whether or not alt!Dick's death was canon that I had to add this little Epilogue. I don't know if Dick Grayson ever existed in the 52!Earth-2; therefore, I wrote this story to try to explain why Helena Wayne, not Dick Grayson, was Robin. I only hope I did a credible job.

**Acknowledgements:** Having a little fun with the multiverse—an idea from 52!World's Finest, but not 52!Dick Grayson, because...well, Nightwing #0 was just so wrong. Dick being thrown in the river comes from B:TAS, S2E4-5, "Robin's Reckoning." Oh, and this hasn't been beta'd…so, sorry!

**Disclaimer**: All characters belong to DC, Time Warner, and CN; this is an original story that doesn't intend to infringe on their copyright. Feedback is welcome.

**Copyright**: December 2012 – **Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!**


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